Colom stars late as Unics Kazan rallies for win in Ljubljana

Unics Kazan remained atop Group M after holding off Union Olimpija Ljubljana 83-89 to improve to 2-0 in the Last 32. After the hosts rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Quino Colom stepped up with 10 straight points to put Unics back in charge. He later added 4 from the free throw line without a miss to help secure the victory. Colom finished another outstanding effort with 23 points, 10 assists and 5 steals. Keith Langford led Unics with 27 points and 8 rebounds and Marko Banic added 10 points. Zach Wright paced the hosts with 18 points and 5 assists, Sasa Zagorac scored 16 and Blaz Mahkovic and Mitja Nikolic netted 10 points apiece.

The team traded scores at the first until Keith Langford’s first 4 points put Unics up 6-10. Gregor Hrovat responded with a triple, but the visitors managed to hold onto a slim lead. Arturas Milaknis hit from downtown to make it 14-19. After Mahkovic’s connected from deep to make it a 2-point game. Latavious Williams put the visitors up 19-23 after 10 minutes. Williams and Banoc helped Unics add to its lead and Langford made it a 10-point game early in the second quarter. It was 23-34 after a Langford triple, but Wright got going for the hosts and rallied them back to 36-38. A three by Colom gave Unics a 36-41 halftime advantage.

Threes by Nikolic and Miha Lapornik got Olimpija right back in it. After Zagorac nailed a triple, it was 46-47. However Unics remained in front and had four different men score in a o-7 push to go up 50-59. Back-to-back triples from Nikolic and Zagorac brought the hosts right back. Banic’s free throws gave Unics a 56-61 cushion through three quarters. Olimpija took charge to start the fourth quarter. Aided by Williams’s unsportsmanlike foul on Ronals Zakis, the hosts went on a 9-2 run to take the lead on Mahkovic’s steal and layup. Unics came alive with the next 10 points – all from Colom! – for a 65-73 lead with four minutes to go. A Zagorac triple gave the hosts hope as 69-75, but time was of the essence and Unics as a team shot 10 for 10 from the foul line over the final minute to avoid giving Olimpija the extra opportunities it needed.

Head Coaches

POTOCNIK, GASPER

Union Olimpija Ljubljana

"I think we played a good game against a great opponent. I have to congratulate my players fort his. We can't be happy about the loss, again, against a great team. We showed a good performance and I think my players gave it their all. The opponent showed why they pay their players as much as they do, because you pay for quality. Their players showed quality on the court, they made important shots in crucial times in the game. They deserve the victory. We had problems with their pick-and-roll game, especially with Colom, who attacks from these situations really well. We defended them the way we did on purpose, we stopped some of their offensive situations, but we also had a few problems. We did this on purpose, but again, I think we played a good game. We need to show this kind of performance in future games."

PASHUTIN, EVGENY

Unics Kazan

"We expected a tough game. It was not easy for us. It was a real fight until the end. I think it was a bit over the limit of contact, for both sides, but I am happy for my guys, that we fought until the end and won the game."